ATSBTBMACP 12

Chapter 12

That night, a heavy snowfall once again fell upon Li Du. The next day, a thick layer of snow had accumulated in the courtyard, leaving a hole with each footstep.

The winter was harsh and cold, the flowers and plants withered. In the courtyard of Yan Nuan Pavilion, only a bare pine tree stood firm.

Song Beiyao’s wounds had completely scabbed over, inside and out. This body was younger, and he had a martial arts background, so the wounds healed quickly. Coupled with the use of top-quality medicine, he could already wear loose clothing and get out of bed to move around.

But when he looked at Ling Feng, he seemed completely uninjured – sweeping snow with a broom, moving things, cleaning the room, all effortless.

True martial arts skills made all the difference. He wondered if, after his luck increased and his body fully recovered, he could follow Ling Feng and learn a few moves. Maybe it would come in handy when he returned to the modern world to film a costume drama.

Ling Feng was busy moving things when he suddenly felt a gaze on him. Turning his head, he saw Song Beiyao staring at him, his eyes deep, unsure of what he was thinking.

He secretly grabbed a handful of snow, swaggered to Song Beiyao, and threw it on him. “What are you staring at me for!”

The snow quickly fell from his clothes. Song Beiyao said leisurely, “Childish.”

“Humph, you’re only a year older than me, calling me childish, what about you!” Ling Feng retorted.

“I’m older than you…” by more than six years. Song Beiyao suddenly realized that, according to his original age, he and Pei Ji were actually the same age. After transmigrating, he became eighteen, making him five years younger than Pei Ji, quite the advantage for that fellow.

“What are you thinking about? Your brows are furrowing and then relaxing.” Ling Feng hopped over.

“I was thinking…” Song Beiyao glanced around, pointing to the room next to the main room and asking, “Aren’t you living in that room now?”

“Yes. It’s so comfortable, I finally don’t have to squeeze into bed with you!”

“Then clean out that empty room next door and make it into a study for me,” Song Beiyao said.

Ling Feng glanced at him. “Don’t order me around, clean it yourself if you want to.”

“Ling Feng, I’m still recovering from my injuries.” Song Beiyao tugged at Ling Feng’s clothes.

“Then clean it yourself when you’re better,” Ling Feng said dismissively.

“Ling Feng, little brother.” Song Beiyao’s voice softened, his tone clearer and brighter than usual.

Ling Feng’s ears immediately turned red. “You… you speak properly to me. Fine, I’ll clean it for you!” He immediately ran off.

Song Beiyao looked at Ling Feng’s back, first stunned, then bursting into laughter. So this was the power of acting cute?

…

After dinner, it was dark.

Pei Ji left the dining hall and went straight to Yan Nuan Pavilion. All three rooms in the courtyard were brightly lit. The usual servant guarding the main room was absent. Qu Lan asked, “Your Highness, should I knock on the door?”

“No need.” Pei Ji glanced at the slightly ajar door of the main room. “He’s not inside.”

He turned towards the room on the far side. As he reached the door, it was opened from the inside. A servant came out carrying a porcelain bowl, a few muffled coughs escaping through the crack in the door.

Lian Sheng had just closed the door when he turned to see Pei Ji. He trembled in fright, hastily bowed, and was about to speak when Pei Ji raised his hand to interrupt him, softly saying, “He’s inside.”

Lian Sheng nodded.

Pei Ji waved his hand, dismissing him. Qu Lan stood guard outside. Pei Ji pushed open the door and entered.

The room wasn’t large, but it was very clean. A row of bookshelves stood against the wall, currently empty. A table and chairs were placed in the middle. Only brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were on the table. Song Beiyao was standing by the table, painting.

His long hair was loosely half-tied, the rest falling over his ear. He was completely focused, his gaze fixed on the paper, his brush moving like a dragon and snake, delicately outlining a snow-covered pine tree.

It was clearly the pine tree in the courtyard of Yan Nuan Pavilion.

He heard the sound of the door opening but didn’t look up, softly saying, “What is it, Lian Sheng? Is there something else?”

Hearing no reply, after finishing the branches, he let out a soft breath, raised his head, and saw the tall, strong man staring intently at the painting with deep eyes.

His brush dropped onto the paper with a pat, the ink spreading quickly, soon staining the entire painting. Pei Ji lifted his eyelids, seeing Song Beiyao’s face instantly turn pale. That face no longer held the smile it had previously held when looking at him, but instead, fear, panic, and a forced composure.

Pei Ji could even feel Song Beiyao’s eyelashes trembling uncontrollably. A hint of irritation rose in his heart, but Pei Ji quickly suppressed it, attributing it to the lack of expected expression on that bright, beautiful face.

He didn’t realize his expression was becoming increasingly cold and hard.

Song Beiyao, like a child who had made a mistake, looked down at the suddenly ruined painting, then looked up at Pei Ji, his lips devoid of color. His mouth slightly open, he only said, “Your Highness.”

“Why do you look at this prince as if you’ve seen a ghost?” Pei Ji’s voice was extremely low.

Song Beiyao blinked slowly, as if thinking how to answer, clearly not as relaxed as before when facing Pei Ji.

After a long while, as if finally making a decision, he slowly said, “I was afraid that I was too casual and would displease Your Highness. Your Highness still suspects that I am… I am… cough, cough, cough…”

Mid-sentence, he covered his lips and began to cough, soon coughing violently, gasping for breath, only managing to recover after a long time.

Seeing him like this, Pei Ji’s expression softened slightly. “This prince misjudged you that day.”

Song Beiyao clutched his chest, dryly forcing out a smile. “It’s alright.”

Pei Ji made a fist, took a deep breath. “This prince received your gift.”

Song Beiyao’s expression was momentarily shocked, then shyness flashed in his eyes, and he quickly lowered his head, then raised his eyes expectantly, cautiously asking, “Your Highness… did you like it?”

His various expressions fell into Pei Ji’s eyes. Pei Ji didn’t answer directly, but asked, “That wood carving, where did you have it carved?”

Song Beiyao lowered his eyes. “I carved it myself.”

Pei Ji’s gaze lingered on Song Beiyao’s face for a moment, then quickly looked away. “You put your heart into it.”

Whether he liked it or not, he didn’t answer.

Song Beiyao smiled wryly. “I was presumptuous, I even carved those words on the base, forgetting that Your Highness dislikes me calling you ‘husband.’ If it’s convenient, please give me the wood carving, I’ll remove those two words.”

“No need.” Pei Ji said in a deep voice. “How you wish to address this prince is your freedom.”

A look of joy suddenly appeared in Song Beiyao’s eyes. “Does Your Highness mean… that I can call you ‘husband’?”

Only at this moment did Pei Ji see a trace of Song Beiyao’s usual demeanor.

His expression didn’t change much. “It’s just a form of address.”

Song Beiyao seemed instantly enveloped by immense joy. He happily bounced in place, then heavily coughed again, his body swaying to the side.

Pei Ji took two steps forward and supported him. Song Beiyao’s head instantly rested on Pei Ji’s neck, his breath coming in rapid gasps, each one spraying onto Pei Ji’s neck.

Pei Ji’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He lifted Song Beiyao horizontally, coldly saying, “If you’re unwell, don’t push yourself.”

Song Beiyao weakly grasped Pei Ji’s collar, his lips against his ear. “Husband, I carved that wood carving for four whole hours, that’s why I returned to the manor so late.”

His voice was soft and tender, with a hint of coquettishness. “I even cut my fingers a few times. Husband, do you like it?”

A faint scent of medicine mixed with the smell of blood, and an unknown fragrance, filled his nostrils, along with the faint breaths in his ear.

This belated explanation, delivered in this way, made Pei Ji feel as if his heart had been immersed in warm water.

After a while, his voice slightly hoarse, he said, “Mm, I like it.”

The person in his arms became still. He lowered his head and saw that the young man had fallen asleep at some point, his head resting on his shoulder, his hair loose. Those usually mischievous eyes were tightly closed, and his entire person looked much more docile, even the teardrop-shaped mole at the corner of his eye looked somewhat pitiful.

Pei Ji retracted his gaze, carried him out of the study, and placed him on the bed in the main room. He paused his gaze on Song Beiyao for a moment before turning and leaving Yan Nuan Pavilion.

It was still snowing outside. Pei Ji walked silently along the snow-covered path in the Crown Prince’s mansion, without going inside.

Qu Lan followed behind his master, softly asking, “Your Highness, has something happened?”

“Qu Lan, this prince previously instructed you to investigate Song Beiyao. How is the investigation going?” Pei Ji said.

“Reporting to Your Highness, the portrait from the Zhao Kingdom court painter has arrived.”

Pei Ji stopped. “How is it?”

Qu Lan replied, “I’ve seen it, the portrait of the Fourth Prince of Zhao Kingdom is undoubtedly the favored consort. The portrait is still with me, I’ll bring it to Your Highness now.”

“No need.” Pei Ji continued walking. “Keep it at your place for now.”

“Yes.” Qu Lan hesitated. “Your Highness, the spy also reported something…”

“What is it?”

“It says that the Fourth Prince was frail and sickly since childhood, and was sent out of the palace at the age of seven. What he did outside the palace is unknown, he seems to have only returned to the palace at the age of fifteen, and his health improved after returning. I believe the favored consort’s current frail body might be a relapse of an old illness.”

Pei Ji nodded slightly. “I understand, continue to investigate what happened to him outside the palace.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

…

After Pei Ji left, Song Beiyao slowly opened his eyes. The number in the lower left corner had changed to -184.

“Host, I think I’m starting to understand what you meant by ‘playing the long game.’ It seems that accumulating luck is faster now.” The system’s tone wasn’t as panicked as before.

Song Beiyao lay on the bed, his head resting on his arm, closing his eyes lazily. “This is just the beginning.”

His injuries hadn’t healed yet, and his new illness added to his old ones, making tonight’s acting rather tiring. Just now, being held by Pei Ji in the study, he almost fell asleep.

“I’m increasingly looking forward to your rise!” The system said excitedly. “You’re not really going to… do it with Pei Ji in the end, are you?”

“Do what? Go to bed?” Song Beiyao raised an eyebrow. “If the situation requires it, it’s not unacceptable.”

The system whispered, “Host, you must know that my scan shows Pei Ji is already very strong, and in reality, it’s even more… Aren’t you afraid of being… you know… by him?”

Song Beiyao laughed. “Didn’t you say that I need +100 luck points to go to bed with him? By the time my body recovers, maybe I can overpower him.”

System: “…Still thinking about overpowering him??”

“Even if I can’t overpower him, I can run. What are my two legs for?” Song Beiyao’s voice was full of weariness. “Let’s not talk about it, that’s all in the future…”

Song Beiyao slept soundly that night.

He dreamt of his early days as a newcomer, with no fame or backing, only his looks and physique. Many investors tried to take advantage of him, but he refused them all.

The worst time, he beat up a male investor who groped his bottom in the restroom, breaking a few of his ribs, nearly getting arrested. Later, that person saved him.

He owed that person a debt he would probably never repay in a lifetime…

When he woke up, his vision was blurry, momentarily unable to distinguish dream from reality.

“Goodness, Song Beiyao, did you cry?” Ling Feng’s voice reached his ears. Song Beiyao touched his eyes, his palm indeed wet.

It had been a very, very long time since he had shed normal tears. Even if his emotions built up, a few crying scenes would release them.

Ling Feng stared at him in surprise. “You can even cry in your sleep, what did you dream about?”

Song Beiyao was uncomfortable with his uncontrolled state being seen, turning his head towards the inside of the bed. He said to Ling Feng, “Go out first, Ling Feng.”

“Humph, fine. I just came to tell you that tomorrow is Pei Ji’s birthday, a guard just came to inform you to have dinner in the dining hall tomorrow night,” Ling Feng said.

“I understand.”